Extra 3,500 Olympic troops

The military is to provide 3,500 extra troops for security duty at the Olympics amid fears that private firm G4S will not be able to supply enough personnel, a Whitehall source said last night.

The move, just a fortnight before the Games, is potentially a major embarrassment for organisers Locog. The overall 23,700-strong security force for the Games will include a mix of military, private security guards and at least 3,000 London 2012 volunteers who will be used at the start of the security process.

Home Secretary Theresa May defended G4S in the Commons on Monday, saying she was “confident our partners will deliver a safe and secure Games”.